Grandson of area woman dies in Iraq

A United States Marine with direct ties to Quay County died in Iraq recently, making him one of the first military personnel with such ties to the county to die in “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Staff Sgt. Marvin Best, 33, grandson of Mary E. Daniels of Logan, and the son of Charlotte Best, formerly of Tucumcari, was assigned to the Second Battalion, Seventh Marine Unit, said Cpt. Brian Lewis of the Yakima, Wash. Marine Division.
Best was deployed to Iraq on Feb. 12 from a base in Twentynine Palms, Calif. He was scheduled to return to the United States in Sept. According to family members living in Logan, Best was killed as a result of an enemy land mine set up as a booby trap against U.S. Troops in the area.
“He was killed in action,” said Best’s Uncle Donald Daniels also of Logan.

Best was a resident of Prosser, Wash. His mother, Charlotte (Daniels) Best was born, raised and educated through high school in Tucumcari before moving to Washington state. Best joined the Marine Corps originally in 1989 and most recently reenlisted for three years to serve with the Second Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Second Marine Division in Camp Lejeune, N.C. Best had been assigned to Al Anbar province which covers a large section of western Iraq including such locations as Ramadi, Qaim and Flujah all areas known to be centers of enemy activity.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Best was one of more than 830 U.S. service members to die since the beginning of military operations in Iraq last year.
In addition to his grandmother and his Uncle Donald Best, he had another uncle and aunt living in Logan.